Not-So-Speedy Dressage
From Endurance to Dressage
No matter what the scores say, I am so proud of Izzy. He was such a good boy at this weekend's schooling show. As the only adult ammie showing Intro A and B, we took home two lovely blue ribbons. I don't even care that we earned them with a 49.69% and a 52.50%. Izzy handled himself like a true rockstar. My friend Laurel came with me and served as Izzy's groom and all around protector. I owe her much more than the Starbuck's scone and horse show lunch that she got for coming with me. She kept me laughing the whole day. The craziness started with my carefully planned out day - the one where I only left myself 5 minutes for braiding. How we even made it there in time to show is a mystery to me As I laid in bed on Saturday morning thinking about my day, I was going though the schedule in my mind. I kept hitting a mental glitch when I got to the braiding part. I finally got out of bed and looked at what I had written. When I saw my miscalculation - no one can braid in 5 minutes! - I jumped in gear and got out of the house by 7:00. I picked up my pace a little and saved a few minutes on my braiding by doing thicker and fatter braids. Laurel arrived a bit early, so even after a few minutes spent persuading Izzy to get the heck on the trailer, we managed to pull out right on time. As we laughed and chatted our way down the two lane country highway, I realized I was looking at some unfamiliar territory; I had missed the turn which would take us towards Woodlake. I pulled over to the shoulder while Laurel used her phone's GPS to figure out where we were. It was to be the joke of the day - how many times could we piss Siri off by turning on the wrong road. Apparently, Siri loves the phrase, MAKE A U-TURN! The last straw was actually making it to Woodlake only to encounter a detour that took us around the entire town. By that point, Laurel and I were in complete hysterics. It took us two iphones, a ticked off Siri, a crappy set of Google directions, numerous u-turns, and a full extra hour of driving before we pulled into the beautiful Sequoia Hills Stables. I can't say enough about the show management and the facility. Parking was easy, the show office was clearly marked, and we were greeted by friendly and helpful volunteers. In no time at all we were back on schedule. While Laurel groomed Izzy, I switched into my show clothes and then tacked Izzy up. Laurel grabbed my bag of stuff while I led Izzy to an over-sized round pen. Using Chemaine's strategy, I quietly lunged Izzy with the draw reins until he started to stretch his back and relax. Laurel kept me company by chatting over the fence. With her easy going conversation, I focused on keeping myself relaxed and confident, and Izzy followed suit. By this time, Laurel noted that Izzy kept looking to the two of us for reassurance. Wherever Laurel went, Izzy was happy to follow. We had quickly become his herd. I had the warm up to myself, thanks to clever planning on the show manager's part (she knew this was Izzy's first show so we were first to go after lunch). I walked Izzy for quite a while just letting him look around. We eventually picked up a baby trot and simply focused on staying relaxed. As my ride time approached, Laurel encouraged Izzy to follow her as we made the walk over to the show ring. He kept his nose right between her shoulder blades. There were clearly problems during the test, but Izzy tried so hard to stay focused on me. This was the first time he's been in a show ring with the judge's tent and potted flowers. There was also a spectator's tent. Even with the tension and giraffing of his neck, you can see moments where he's kind of figuring it out. I can definitely see his potential. This judge didn't pull any punches. The slew of 4s and 5s that she gave us were what I expected. Some of the 5s might have even been a stretch. Had this been a rated show, the 49.69% that we earned would probably have been our score - I don't think the judge "softballed" any of her scores, and I am okay with that. Once Izzy learns to relax, our scores will go up. I am tickled that he actually did each movement without a meltdown.
My honest to goodness goals for the day were a) get him to stand somewhat still while I tacked up, b) let me get on without a rodeo, and c) trot in the warm up. There was no d) - I didn't even think we'd make it into the show ring. After the horrible rides we'd had earlier in the week, I had seriously considered not even going. Chemaine, my trainer, talked me down off the ledge reminding me that it was just a schooling show and that Izzy needs experience. So while some critics might scoff at the work we did in the ring, I couldn't be happier. Even Laurel, who sees him every day, was blown away by how hard Izzy tried. She hadn't expected me to be able to ride him either. The judge's Further Remarks were quite accurate and are our blue print going forward, "Much tension throughout with very short strides in both gaits. Often above bit." Well yes, that's all very true. Look for test B tomorrow. It was actually a tiny bit better! A while back I saw a video of a horse that comprised a lifetime of tests- from his very first show at Intro to his most recent Grand Prix. Just think of this as an exciting start! Bravo on riding him, and good boy to Izzy on the trying part! I saw the halt in the video and I was like, "All that prancing, and he's still willing to halt and stand quietly. Good boy!" 4/19/2016 07:02:41 am
I think I saw that same video montage. They all have to start somewhere don't they? Sure, I wish he had gone out there and nailed Intro A, but he didn't and that's okay. He did more than I was expecting - like halting. That was a pleasant surprise as well. I actually worried about that because I was pretty there wasn't going to be one. :0)
jenj
4/19/2016 07:17:27 am
I was thinking of that same video montage! You can see Izzy has soooo much potential here, but he's just a baby. It's great that he tried so hard and most importantly, YOU DID IT!!! Congrads!
Karen
4/19/2016 08:25:28 am
I actually love how quiet and tactful you remain, in spite of his tension and skittering. We have ALL been there! He is a lovely horse .... I see FEI potential there and I'm not kidding. They just have to work through their baby moments. And you know that! :) 4/20/2016 12:16:42 pm
Wow! THAT much potential?!?! :0) 4/20/2016 12:17:30 pm
That's right - I beat everyone who didn't show up. :0) That looks familiar! My first test with TC was really similar. I feel like with horses like this, Intro doesn't do a good job of keeping them occupied. So much walking and just trotting in straight lines and large circles. But then again if the tests were more complicated, they wouldn't be intro tests. He definitely shows a lot of potential though, and he's only going to get better! 4/20/2016 12:19:48 pm
Thanks, Megan. Yeah ... all of that walking is pretty bad and so are the long sides. I would love to enter at A immediately into a 10-meter circle, loop, or serpentine! :0)
Carly
4/19/2016 11:06:07 am
What a beautiful facility! He might have been tense, but you really can tell how hard he's trying to be good. No one had any unplanned exits from the arena, so that's always a win right there! 4/20/2016 12:25:06 pm
It was gorgeous!!!! I wish I would have snapped photos of the snow-capped Sierra Nevada. Mt.Whitney (CA's tallest peak) was visible. :0) 4/19/2016 11:14:26 am
I told you you could whip him into baby show horse shape! I'm so proud of how Izzy handled himself! This looks a lot like what I've been doing lately with Jazz, except with more snorting and head tossing and moving her hindquarters around when she doesn't feel like bending. Kudos to you for just getting out and doing it! 4/20/2016 12:26:30 pm
I was sooooo happy that we actually made it into the show ring. the rides he gave me during the week left me wondering if I was even going to be able to get on him. Maybe things are starting to click. :0)
Carol
4/19/2016 11:49:23 am
What a quiet, calm rider you are!! The last part of the test, with the walk on the diagonal, you can really see him start to relax even though he doesn't stretch his neck down. How great to get him out and about in a show environment. You both did really well!
Karen Bro
4/19/2016 09:11:41 pm
Well done, all! To Izzy for trying so hard, you for going to the show, and Laurel for her chauffeur/valet/lady-in-waiting services. Izzy has a great presence and I can't wait to watch him improve. Just getting caught up after being away for a vacation. I think that you should be very proud of Izzy. I will be taking Carmen to shows and all I want is what you achieved- a test without a melt down. There's lots of time for high scores. Survival is where the action is! 4/20/2016 06:04:52 am
Exactly! For our next outing, my goals will be the same. Eventually, he'll learn that nothing bad is going to happen and the newness will wear off. The hardest part for me is that there is a 4 show series about an hour and a half away (CDS -rated), but everything else is more than a 2 hour drive. It's a lot harder to get experience that way. :0)
Val
4/20/2016 03:56:47 am
He so fancy. Maybe you should take him to a schooling show once a week until he is bored with it and then he will be able to relax. That was a perfect outing. 4/20/2016 06:02:35 am
Thanks, Val, and believe me, if we had a schooling show within an hour, I would. There are two schooling show series in my area, but both of them are slightly more than 2 hours away. Even this show, the first time it's been held, was a two hour drive. Nearly five hours of driving every Saturday gets to be a lot of work. :0) Comments are closed.
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About the Writer and RiderI am a lifelong rider.
I began endurance riding in 1996 where I ultimately completed five, one-day 100 mile races, the 200-mile Death Valley Encounter, and numerous other 50, 65, and 75 mile races. I began showing dressage in 2010. Welcome to my dressage journey. About Speedy GSpeedy went from endurance horse to dressage horse. After helping me earn a USDF Bronze medal in the summer of 2020, he is now semi-retired. Speedy is a 2004, 15'1 hand, purebred Arabian gelding. His Arabian Horse Registry name is G Ima Starr FA.
About IzzyIzzy was started as a four-year old and then spent the next 18 months in pasture growing up. I bought him as a six-year old, and together, we are showing at the lower levels. He is a 2008, 16'3 hand warmblood gelding. His Rheinland Pfalz-saar International (RPSI) name is Imperioso.
National Rider AwardsState Rider Awards
State Horse Awards
Working Towards:
CDS Sapphire Rider Award Third Level: 63.514% Third Level: 62.105% Fourth Level: Fourth Level: 2023 Show Season
Show Rating (***) CDS/USDF/USEF (*) CDS (s) Schooling (c) Clinic (r) Ride-a-Test Clinic 2023 Show Schedule
TBD 2023 Completed … Pending 2023 Qualifying Scores
Regional Adult Amateur Competition (RAAC) Qualifying Training Level 3 Scores/2 Judges/60%: Score 1: Score 2: Score 3: Archives
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